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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "James Comey" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dexxwb@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 08:48:43 -0700
Subject: A MESSAGE YOU MUST READ FROM JAMES B COMEY...

FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/directors
 
    REF: US/28028/8A28/11
 
ATTN: RECIPIENT
 
 
I, James B. Comey the new Director of FBI officially inform you that it has come to our notice and we
Have thoroughly completed an investigation with the help of our
Intelligence Monitoring Network System that you legally approved to
Receive a valued amount of fund to credit instruction from the federal government of Nigeria
 
Normally, it will take up to 10 business days for an International cheque, to be cashed by your local banks. We have successfully notified this Bank on your behalf that funds are to be drawn from a registered bank Within the United States of America so as to enable you cash the cheque
Instantly without any delay, henceforth the stated amount of $12.5M USD. Has been deposited with BANK OF EAST ASIA USA
 
We have completed this investigation and you are hereby approved to receive your fund as we have verified the entire transaction to be Safe and 100% risk free, due to the fact that the funds have been
Deposited at BANK OF EAST ASIA USA you will be required to settle the Following bills directly to our Agent in-charge of this Transaction, According to our discoveries, you were required to pay for
The following -
 
Deposit Fee (Fee paid by the bank for the deposit into an American Bank which is - BANK OF EAST ASIA USA) Cashier cheque Conversion Fee (Fee for converting the Wire Transfer Payment into a Certified Cashier cheque)
 
The total amount for everything is $420.00 (Four Hundred and twenty USD.)
We have tried our possible best to indicate that this $420.00 should be
Deducted from your fund but we found out that the funds have
Already been deposited at BANK OF EAST ASIA USA and cannot be accessed by
Anyone except the legal owner (you), therefore you will be
Required to pay the required fees to the Agent in-charge of this
Transaction via Western Union Money Transfer or Money Gram
 
In order to proceed with this transaction, you will be required to contact the agent in-charge (HENRY SHAWN) via e-mail Kindly look below to find appropriate contact information:
 
CONTACT AGENT NAME: HENRY SHAWN
E-MAIL ADDRESS: dexxwb@gmail.com
 
You will be required to e-mail him with the following information:
FULL NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
DIRECT CONTACT NUMBER:
 
You will also be required to request Western Union details on how to send
The required $420.00 in order to immediately acquire some needed documents to release your fund of $12.5 USD via Certified Cashier's cheque drawn from BANK OF EAST ASIA USA, and also include the following Fund Reference Identification:EA2948-910.
 
This letter will serve as proof that the Federal Bureau Of Investigation is authorizing you to pay the required $420.00 ONLY to our AGENT IN NIGERIA, AGENT HENRY SHAWN via information in which he shall send to you, if you do not receive your FUND of $12.5M we shall be held responsible for the loss and this shall invite a penalty, which will be made PAYABLE ONLY to you
 
 
Please find below an authorized signature which has been signed by the FBI
JAMES B. COMEY THE NEW FBI DIRECTOR
 
JAMES B. COMEY Director – FBI    NSB SEAL ABOVE
NOTE: In order to ensure rapid response for the Fund won, contact AGENT
HENRY SHAWN as soon as possible providing the required
Information needed from you above

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